Finally took down chapter 19 after a trial run basically spelled doom and gloom for everyone not named Chrom or Est. Causalities were minimal yet acceptable (alas, poor Alm and Moulder, I knew thee well) and Altenna and Raquesis are now ready to reclass into other classes. I had Quan paired with Athena take the south east corner and tank about half the map, unfortunately Sol didn't proc for him on enemy phase 1 forcing me to send Raquesis over to heal him instead of clearing out an enemy that ended up killing Alm, otherwise he pretty much soloed the eastern half of the map (aside from Altenna popping in to draw some arggo) even though by the end of the battle most of his weapons were spent. Athena spent the battle in Quan's pocket and holding an Armorslayer which she used to great effect. Alm started off with chipping but unlucky Pavise procs left him in the range of four enemies, two of whom were at critical, and Quan's inability to proc Sol on EP 1 forced me to choose between sacrificing him or Quan. Amelia, who was paired with Alm, got shoved into Chrom's pocket for the rest of the battle. Mia and Mycen were also in pockets not really doing anything (Mycen missed a lot, and Mia couldn't scratch a damn thing). Micaiah sat out for most of the battle but spotted an opportunity to save Raquesis's life by switching out and tanking a single Wyvern Lord's attack (and smoking him with an Arcwind counter with a large quantity of Vengeance damage). Moulder also didn't do much since he was in Est's pocket for most of the time, except for when he tried to sneak in a heal after I thought I had dealt with all of the stage's asshat reinforcements (I had forgotten that there were five rounds of reinforcements, the last of which dumped enemies from every unoccupied fort on the fucking map), he almost survived my mistake. Chrom spent his first full battle as a Bow Knight building his bow ranks (which bit me in the ass on EP1 when most of the western enemies attacked from within his range shadow), cleaning up stray enemies with either a Silver Sword or his Bronze Bow, or tanking asshat reinforcements, he also started the fight against Walhart by doing significant damage to him with an Underdog Bow (which didn't get a power boost but still had better Might than an Iron Bow). Altenna spent most of the fight smacking down enemies or drawing arggo from Quan and being stupidly tough in general, as she hit level 15 during the fight she now has to find a new class to wreck shit in (or Dark Flier to eventually join the Galeforce Force). Florina, Seliph, and Est were my Galeforce Force for the fight, charging about, and killing enemies for the most part. Florina still has trouble surviving more than a hit or two but she's beginning to turn it around as a Wyvern Lord. Seliph had trouble killing enemies, even with an Eirika's Blade and Armorslayer, but between him and Florina they were able to tank enough hits to make it through the fight (even if both of them should've died at some point or another). Est continues to be motherfucking Est and was either killing enemies or tanking enemy phases, she also snuck in a couple of hits against Walhart using her Hand Axe after Chrom had his shot at him but she was still unable to defeat him (that duty fell to Florina and a hit from her Silver Lance). And Raquesis spent most of the fight providing Catharsis to Quan, although she did get a kill or two in and even drew a little arggo from Quan, and she hit level 15 too (gaining the ever valuable Dual Support+ which is a free +10 to Hit, Avoid, Evade, and Crit) so now she needs to decide on going up Sage for more Magic or Falcon Knight to maintain her current mobility and Rally Speed for eventual Rally Botting. Now to track down replacements for Alm and Moulder and take on Smash Brethren 1.

As for the unfortunate grinding I've had to partake in. I've made....-One run through Champions of Yore 1.-One run through Champions of Yore 2.-One run through Champions of Yore 3. (The All Stats +2 skill scroll went to Chrom respectfully.)-One run through Lost Bloodlines 1.-One run through Lost Bloodlines 2. (The Dread Fighter scroll is sitting in my inventory for now but its going to Chrom eventually.)-One run through Lost Bloodlines 3. (The Paragon skill scroll went to Chrom respectfully.)-Seven runs through Golden Gaffe. (I managed to collect all of the funds on the fourth, sixth, and seventh runs.)-One run through Exponential Experience.-One run through Harvest Scramble.-One skirmish battle.

I still have yet to start that one myself. Owned it for a while now, but it's been sittin on my shelf. My toddler son likes to watch me play games sometimes. I'm thinking that one will really entertain him. Perfect excuse to get it started.

As for my progress in GTA IV, I've finished Packie's missions, and opened up the 3rd island. The last Packie mission, "3 Leaf Clover" (the one where you rob the bank with him), really kicked my ass. I must have tried it close to 10 times before I completed it without dying. I've done half of U.L.P.'s missions at this point. I've chosen to spare the lives of their targets so far. I guess my version of Niko isn't totally cold-blooded... I've also completed Derrick McReary's first mission. I have yet to do any of the Gerry McReary or Ray Boccino missions. When it comes to this entry in the GTA series, I miss the comical nature and outright fun of San Andreas, but I guess that's what the Saint's Row series is for. Otherwise, I am really enjoying this one.

Well I officially cast Agarest 2 into the abyss of games I will never (or at least am not likely to ever) finish. After spending hours to pick up appropriately where I left off in Gen 2, I finally arrived at the conclusion that I CANNOT play this game...

Last year when I played it I was taken by the stellar soundtrack and lovely art. I still am. The plot and writing is without a doubt a cut above for a CH/IF title. But these points just do NOT justify (for me) the disjointed and unituitive mechanics of the gameplay and the inherent monotony of the aforementioned madness. Not with so many other awesome titles on the shelf.

Picking up Agarest again felt too much like work after forcing myself to complete Wild Arms Alter Code F.... gaming should not feel like an obligatory chore.

Moving on, I started Atelier Ayesha finally... a few months ago I blitzed Ni No Kuni in order to be ready to start Ayesha day 1 and got side tracked by persona 2 IS and consequently EP thereafter. I felt I owed to myself to not let the new Atelier trilogy slip into the realm of the "I'll get to it someday" games/ series (of which I have many).

and lastly.... to those playing FF6... you guys have gone and done me in.... I can't take it... As if this week I think I will be re-animating my "Retro-Weekend- gaming-regimen" where on weekends I only indulge 16-bit goodness (or earlier). I can't keep coming to this board and getting jealous of those playing something from that era and still enjoy any current gen stuff-LoL

^^ while I don't believe gaming should feel like an obligatory chore, I do believe in playing JRPGs like its a second job with schedules and whatnot. How else are you going to conquer these epics!!??? Harharharhar!

Needed a break from RPG's after my Chrono Trigger gauntlet, so I put the Sly Collection back in my PS3. About 60% of the way through Sly 2 and I'm still having a really good time with it compared to the fun but ultimately uncreative first game. I love that the game manages to make stealth a fun approach that is almost never actually required.

Last year when I played it I was taken by the stellar soundtrack and lovely art. I still am. The plot and writing is without a doubt a cut above for a CH/IF title. But these points just do NOT justify (for me) the disjointed and unituitive mechanics of the gameplay and the inherent monotony of the aforementioned madness. Not with so many other awesome titles on the shelf.

Picking up Agarest again felt too much like work after forcing myself to complete Wild Arms Alter Code F.... gaming should not feel like an obligatory chore.

...

^^ while I don't believe gaming should feel like an obligatory chore, I do believe in playing JRPGs like its a second job with schedules and whatnot. How else are you going to conquer these epics!!??? Harharharhar!

Not setting the bar very high there, mate. :PAnd don't be ashamed of putting a game down if it feels like a slog. You are playing them to have fun, right? Why not pick what you are playing more on the basis of what you actually want to play, rather than what you feel you need to finish?

Currently playing Strange Journey. Just hit Sector F. So far the dungeons have been manageable, but I am still a bit worried based on the complaints I heard about some of the later dungeons.Jimenez needs to shut up.

Picking up Agarest again felt too much like work after forcing myself to complete Wild Arms Alter Code F.... gaming should not feel like an obligatory chore.

and lastly.... to those playing FF6... you guys have gone and done me in.... I can't take it... As if this week I think I will be re-animating my "Retro-Weekend- gaming-regimen" where on weekends I only indulge 16-bit goodness (or earlier). I can't keep coming to this board and getting jealous of those playing something from that era and still enjoy any current gen stuff-LoL

^^ while I don't believe gaming should feel like an obligatory chore, I do believe in playing JRPGs like its a second job with schedules and whatnot. How else are you going to conquer these epics!!??? Harharharhar!

The most important part is that your having fun!

FF6- Only four characters left to max out then I can call it a day. Game was just as good for me now as it was when I first played it. I am thinking of moving on to FF9 next since I can play it on the Vita.

So finally pulled Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 off of my backlog shelf. After my first day of playing....I really felt underwhelmed and not that interested in continuing after my first day of playing. I am a little farther in right now and I am at least getting an occasional chuckle in, still only vaguely interested though. I doubt this game is going to last me till Dynasty Warriors 8 comes out though unfortunately since it is apparently only 15 hours. I guess I'll try and get through Victory also or something.

I thought the worst dungeon, in terms of layout, was C, from what I've played of the game.

How far did you get?Can't remember any annoying bits in sector C, but there was one floor in D I think, where there was a floor with lots of dark/unmappable conveyor belt sections, and the teleportation section in sector E I could also see getting annoying.

People always complain about the instant death spells in SMT, but they are generally pretty easy to get protection against. The most frustrating bits so far have been the instant deaths from petrification of the main character or being ambushed by enemies using the sleep plus insta-death to sleeping status. There is usually no way to protect yourself from those simultaneously.

After today I SWEAR to you all, I will NOT ever put Agarest 2 back in my ps3!!! My obsessive compulsive nature bested me yet again this morning and I decided I would give it another crack.... hours I will never get back....

Seriously, I wish one of you guys could punch me in the face anytime I even so much as think of playing this again.

Agarest 2 is not a bad game and that is the problem for me.... there is too much about it I really like but it unfortunately just really does not outweigh how I much I grew to loathe the gameplay.

I think I am gonna go sell it to someone or trade it in to get it off the shelf and out of my mind-LoL

Back to Atelier Ayesha and a world where I know for what reasons and why I am pressing buttons again.

Goddammit PXZ. Did you really have to introduce breakable kibble into environments and semi randomly hide items in them? I'm spending more time satisfying my OCD curiosity than I am on the actual fights themselves. Never the less, thank you for making kibble removal a free action instead of a bust object/end turn deal like other SRPGs would do (then again, such games don't scatter such kibble all over the fucking stage and be semi-unpredictable about whether loot is present or not either).

Anyways, beat chapter 3. I now have the game's originals, Chun Li/Morgan, Akira/Pai Chan, and Frank West/Lei-Lei with Bahn and Tron Bonne as available supports.